Legend has it that long ago in the ancient days of Veedur, when the world was young and magic still flowed freely through these lands, there existed eight devices of unimaginable power, known as the chaos devices, each one of these devices was protected and controlled by a shadow and were said to contain the very essence of creation and destruction. Whoever possessed all of them would have the power to shape the destiny of the world according to their will, but they would also bear an unfathomable curse. According to the legend, a hidden city lies beneath the flying mountains of Sir’ala, untouched by time. This city housed the temple of chaos, containing eight one-of-a-kind mystical objects.

In this city the queen of shadows ruled peacefully until she lost her mind to the device she controlled, disrupting the balance and plotting to conquer the other devices. In response, the other shadows fled the temple and entrusted their devices to different individuals around Veedur in secrecy. In order to keep them safe from the maniacal queen. The queen was captured and sent to the depths of the abyss for never to return and remained unaware of the device's whereabouts, or so they thought...

William told this story in a soft voice, whispering the words to his little daughter, Loriana, who listened attentively with her wide wondering eyes. The bonfire crackled softly in the clearing of the mystical forest where they had camped for the night. The glow of the flames danced on the tall, ancient trees, whose branches seemed to reach the starry sky.

"Though these devices bring ruin to those who seek them, there will always be those who cannot resist their call."

William continued, gently stroking his Lorianas's hair.

"But you, little one, must always remember that some secrets are better left hidden."

Loriana’s eyelids grew heavier as she blinked. Her father's voice was like a soft melody, and soon, exhaustion overcame her. The night was getting darker and the forest got quieter, but in this forest, the silence was always deceptive. He leaned over Umbriel and shook her gently.

"Loriana, wake up? he whispered.

"We need more wood to keep the fire going. The zargos prowl at night, and we need to make sure they stay away."

Loriana rubbed her eyes and nodded, getting up with difficulty, with the blanket still draped over his shoulders she followed his father to the edge of the clearing. The mystical forest was a strange place, where the shadows seemed to have a life of their own, and the trees whispered in a forgotten language, but she was not afraid at all.

"Why me? I'm just a girl, I don't really care about a campfire, I have my wool blanket- She complained while gathering the wood."

"Ok, perfect then, let’s go to sleep without a bonfire, but pray to the Gods that the zargos don’t find us while we’re sleeping."

"Zargos?!" The little girl exclaimed as she stood up suddenly.

"Let’s get enough firewood to make the biggest bonfire ever." said the girl.

Together, they collected dry branches and small logs, enough to fuel the bonfire all night. William, cautiously, always kept one hand on his sword as he looked around while collecting the firewood. Zargos, terrible creatures that lurked in the darkness, were a constant threat in these lands.

They returned to their camp, and William stoked the fire, increasing its intensity until heat enveloped the small clearing. The flames created a light barrier, protecting them from both the cold and the dangers that lurked in the darkness. Satisfied, William sat next to his daughter, placing a protective hand on her shoulder.

"Don’t let the bed bugs bite, my Loriana," he said softly.

"I'll watch the fire."

And so, under the glow of the fire and the whisper of the wind, Loriana fell asleep again, feeling safe in her father's arms. But somewhere deep in the forest, a dark force stirred, an ancient presence that had been waiting for generations.

"If she knew the cold was the least thing to worry about in this forest, we would already have a bonfire the size of an elephant." William thought.

Morning came with a soft glow filtering through the leaves. William was already awake, looking carefully at an old map that he had carried with him for years. This map, worn by time, was his guide in his search for something he had pursued for most of his life: the lost city of Veedur.

William knew it was close, the lost city with its wonderful stories, he couldn't wait to get there to draw everything, to write his notes and find the secret temple of which the legend claimed to be the beginning of an endless abyss, the door to the underworld, an the altar dedicated to the seven sins in flesh and bone.

Loriana, still somewhat sleepy, stretched and sat next to him, looking curiously at the map her father was studying. Although she didn’t fully understand the importance of his father's mission, she’d always felt a special connection to mysterious and ancient places. It was as if something inside her answered the call to those places, drawing a familiarity she couldn't explain.

"here are we going today, Dad,?" Loriana asked with her soft voice.

"The lost city of Veedur." Said William.

"Is it the city of your bedtime story?" Asked the little girl.

William smiled at her, but there was a shadow of concern in his eyes.

"This map will take us along to uncharted territory. It is an ancient path, forgotten by time itself, so we should be careful."

It was dawn and the forest showed the first light of the winter solstice and the map drawn by the village elder turned out to be quite useful. The forest we were entering into wasn’t even close to the one we spent the night in, this was a mystical forest.

Mystical forests were thought to be lost forever, and most people had stopped believing in their existence, because the ancient lodges of Razmuden eradicated and burned them to the ground.

They kept walking following the route drawn on the map. The mystical forest was turning into some sort of labyrinth, and each step took them deeper into its enigmatic domain. The air was starting to feel different, William noticed something strange, the trees looked familiar, it seemed like they were going around in circles after all. Concerned he looked at the old map again and fell into frustration, he stopped, looking down to Loriana who seemed worried as well.

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"This doesn't make any sense dad, these trees look all the same," she muttered.

"Yes dear, I’m afraid the forest is playing with us."

As they moved forward, the girl began to feel a kind of resonance within her, an echo of something old and familiar was trying to reach her mind.

"Dad, I think I know which way to go," she said.

William was surprised by the certainty in his voice.

"How is that even possible? you've never been here before"

Loriana didn't know how to respond. She just knew she had to follow that echo.

William decided to follow her; as Loriana seemed to have known the place; After some time walking amongst the lush vegetation, the two had found what they had been searching for: The forgotten city of Veedur.

The city spoken of in whispers in the ancient chronicles, loomed before them like a ghost from another time. Stone buildings, mostly in ruins, stood as mute witnesses to a bygone era. Trees and vines had claimed much of the city, enveloping the structures in a web of roots and leaves. The silence was palpable, broken only by the occasional rustle of the wind.

William could barely contain his astonishment. All his life he had searched for this city, guided by stories and fragments of information scattered in ancient texts. Now, finally, he was here, in the ruins of Veedur. He took out his notebook and began frantically making sketches and notes, trying to capture every detail of what he saw.

Loriana, for her part, remained silent, observing the city with a mixture of curiosity and a deeper feeling that she could not understand. There was something about this place that resonated with a part of her being that until now had been dormant.

"This place... is incredible," William murmured, not looking away from his notes.

"There is so much to learn here, so many stories to discover."

However, while her father was absorbed in his task, Loriana felt an invisible pull inside her. It was as if something or someone was calling her from deep in the city. Unable to resist that attraction, she began to walk away from his father, slowly heading towards a strange temple nearby.

The ancient stone paths guided her through abandoned squares and half-collapsed buildings. The shadows lengthened as the sun descended in the sky, and the city seemed to come to life with a dark energy hiding in the cracks of its architecture.

The main chamber of the Temple was a space that defied logic and the laws of nature. As they entered, William and Loriana felt an almost tangible pressure in the air, as if the darkness itself had weight.

The place was vast, with a ceiling so high that it was lost in the shadows. Along the walls, burning torches cast a flickering light that barely illuminated the contours of the chamber, leaving large areas in an eerie gloom.

The floor was covered with black stone slabs, polished to the point of reflecting the weak light of the torches. As William walked forward, his footsteps resounded in an endless echo, amplifying the feeling of loneliness and emptiness in that place.

"What is this place dad?"

"This is it, Loriana. The Temple of Chaos!" William fell on his knees in astonishment.

The walls were adorned with bas-reliefs of fantastic creatures and human figures in postures of suffering, all carved with ancient and disturbing mastery. The arcane symbols intertwined in complex patterns, forming a network of dark energy that seemed to pulse with a life of its own.

In the center of the chamber, the Altar of Shadows dominated the scene. It was a monumental structure, carved from a dark stone that seemed to absorb light rather than reflect it. The altar was irregularly shaped, with sharp edges and rough surfaces, as if it had been torn directly from the heart of the earth. Above it, a Red Mirror rested in a black iron frame, its jagged edges barely reflecting the dim glow of the torches. The mirror seemed to pulse with an internal light, a strange and eerie crimson glow.

Loriana was feeling trapped by the power emanating from the altar from the moment she set foot in the chamber. Her eyes, normally full of life and curiosity, were now fixed on the mirror, as if the world around her had ceased to exist. She felt an irresistible pull towards it, a silent call that insinuated itself into her mind, promising unimaginable secrets and power beyond comprehension.

As Loriana slowly approached the altar, William was captured by the magnificence of the temple's architecture. His gaze traveled over the intricate details of the reliefs and symbols that covered the walls. As an archaeologist and scholar, he couldn't help but be fascinated by the skill with which this place had been built, a sanctuary dedicated to forces beyond the human. Each symbol, each architectural detail, awakened in him a mixture of admiration and awe.

Lost in his contemplation, William did not notice his daughter was leaving his side, hypnotized by the dark energy emanating from the mirror. He was too enthralled with the ancient inscriptions, trying to decipher the hidden messages, to notice how the little girl advanced towards the altar with slow but determined steps. The camera, in turn, seemed to encourage the girl with inaudible whispers filtered from the shadows, enveloping her in a blanket of darkness that took her further and further away from reality.

William finally turned around looking for his daughter, but it was too late. Loriana stood in front of the altar with her eyes fixed on the Red Mirror, as the figure of a huge shadow began to manifest, slowly emerging from the corners that surrounded her. William felt deep terror, but his body did not react; he was trapped, fascinated and horrified at the same time by the scene unfolding before his eyes. The altar, with its dark power, had captured both father and daughter, sealing their fate in the heart of the Temple of Chaos.

The little girl was standing, staring at the altar with empty eyes and an absent expression. William felt a chill run down his spine. Something was very wrong. The room was illuminated, but the darkness seemed to pulse from the altar, as if it were a living entity. William approached slowly, fearing what he might find.

"Honey..."

he whispered, trying not to scare her.

"I'm here, come with me."

But the girl did not respond. Her eyes remained fixed on the altar, as if she was seeing something that William could not perceive. The air grew colder, and the shadow materialized in front of the altar, taking the form of a tall and slender woman, with long hair as black as the night, her eyes were bottomless abysses.

"I’m Umbra, the Mother of Shadows, and I’m back!"

William backed away, his instincts screaming at him to flee, but his legs wouldn't respond. Umbra extended a hand towards the little girl, who remained motionless, as if she were under a spell.

"I have waited so long for you, little Loriana"

Umbra's voice was a whisper, an echo that resonated in Loriana’s mind, filling her with terror.

Loriana tried to scream, but her voice choked in his throat. In one smooth motion, Umbra lifted her into the air, as if she weighed nothing. The little girl floated towards the altar, her eyes closed, oblivious to the danger that surrounded her.

"No!" —William managed to shout, lunging forward to save his daughter.

But it was too late. Umbra moved her other hand, and a shadow as dark as night enveloped William, trapping him in place. He felt his life slipping away as darkness consumed him, and his eyes closed forever.

Umbra placed little Loriana on the altar. The girl lay motionless, as if in a deep sleep. The dark shadow that had trapped William vanished, and Umbra approached the man's limp body and took his soul creating a light sphere. With a delicate gesture, Umbra placed the sphere on Loriana's forehead. The little girl began to shine with a dim light, and her body rose from the altar, levitating a few centimeters above the surface. The sphere of light was absorbed by Loriana, and when the process was finished, the little girl opened her eyes.

But that girl was not Loriana anymore, Umbra's shadow merged with Loriana's body, and the girl gently descended to the ground, now possessed by the dark entity. The power of the temple resonated within her, and her small body radiated a dark and dangerous energy.

With a final gesture, Umbra took the Red Mirror of Chaos, the ancient and powerful device that rested on the altar. and transformed it into a simple notebook, a harmless object at first glance, but one that held the darkest secrets. And put it in Loriana’s chest. Then she put Loriana in a deep long slumber…

The little girl woke up but she was not in the temple anymore, she looked around, disoriented. She didn't know where she was or how she got there. Her mind was a blank canvas with no memories, no identity. She noticed a small tattered notebook on her chest, she opened it, but the pages were blank. She didn't know why, but the notebook looked strangely familiar.

As she stood up, two figures emerged from the trees. They were two young boys, both dressed as adventurers. The tall, brown-haired boy approached her with a relieved expression.

"She’s alive!" —they said with a friendly smile.

"I'm pretty sure you got lost in the woods. I’m Carter and this is my brother, Martel. What’s your name?"

The little girl looked at them with a mixture of confusion and relief. She didn't know who they were, but she felt strangely safe with them. She opened his mouth to respond, and a single word left his lips.

—Umbriel.—

Carter and Martel exchanged a surprised look, but asked no questions. It seemed like the little girl had gone through a traumatic experience, and they didn't want to pressure her. Instead, they offered her some food and water and walked her on her way out of the forest.